NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) Senior Lecturer of Arabic Nasser Isleem has published the third volume of his book Kalima wa Nagham A Textbook for Teaching Arabic. Co-authored by Associate Professor and Director of Asian Studies at the College of Charleston Ghazi Abuhakema, this book uniquely and simultaneously introduces Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) and the salient aspects of Educated Spoken Arabic (ESA).
Aimed at students whose Arabic proficiency level is at least intermediate to high, according to American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL’s) rating scale, this book features an audio and video component, available here. Students who complete the book will be able to develop important language skills–listening, speaking, reading, writing, and expressing deep cultural knowledge–and reach the advanced high proficiency level by the end of the book.
Kalima wa Nagham employs a threaded story that introduces language concepts along with music to enhance vocabulary retention and recall. At the core of the textbook are written and oral texts that present examples of Arabic grammatical concepts and important cultural aspects, as well as related vocabulary. These are supplemented by drills and activities that can be used in a classroom setting or pursued individually. The book is available for purchase on Amazon and the NYUAD bookstore.
“Kalima wa Nagham is intended to be a comprehensive model for developing teaching materials for teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language where learners’ needs and expectations are met, and, at the same time, where language as a dynamic entity is adequately examined and presented,” Isleem commented.
Isleem is a native of Palestine and brings a wealth of experience in teaching all levels of Arabic language and culture. He joined NYUAD as a senior Arabic language lecturer in spring 2012. Throughout his professional career, he participated in several academic conferences where he addressed the importance of Arabic culture integration. Isleem is a pioneer in applying studies that examine the impact of using songs, proverbs, and other cultural expressions and components in teaching the Arabic language.
